In a broad stroke anywhere from 5 minutes to 3-4 hours (assuming no examinations are taking place and HMRC has not queried the entry for some reason).  There are ‘routings’ that entries take that determine their speed.  The most common three are:

Route 1

Documentary checks. HMRC want to see all paperwork before clearing the entry, and once the entry has been emailed to them by the clearance agent they aim to get these entries customs cleared within 3 hours.  If not cleared by then, Broadside would send through a ‘second request’. Of course if the vessel arrives after working hours, then the entry will not be emailed to HMRC until the start of the next working day, so make allowances for this.

Route 2

HMRC want to examine your cargo.  This will delay customs clearance to around 3-7 days depending on the workload of the port, and of course HMRC staffing levels.

Route 6

Always our favourite as this one clears in 5 to 60 minutes.  There are two streams, and only HMRC will know why one Route 6 entry will be processed on the 5 minute stream, and yet another will take 60 minutes. HMRC do not always look at the paperwork for these, and the 60 minute stream does at least allow them time to request paperwork from us before clearance is issued.  If they do request paperwork from the agent on a Route 6 entry, it will in effect from that time, act like a Route 1 entry.

Nearly all route 6 entries are customs cleared unchecked by HMRC though.